viral
gb/vˈaɪɹəl/ us/vˈaɪɹəl/
B2
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Spreading extremely fast among people
Becoming very popular very fast, usually because many people share it on the internet.
Usage pattern:
[something] goes viral; viral [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'viral' always refers to illness. In internet contexts, it means something spreads very fast among people, not that it is related to a virus. Learners also often say *'be viral'* instead of the more natural pattern *'go viral'* (e.g., say 'The video went viral', not 'The video was viral' in most cases).
Synonyms
trending (Commonly used for topics or hashtags that are currently very popular, especially on social media.)
|
popular (More general and neutral; does not necessarily suggest sudden or internet-based spread.)
|
widespread (Focuses on how many people know something, not specifically on fast or online sharing.)
Antonyms
obscure (Describes something that is little known or not widely seen.)
|
unnoticed (Emphasizes that almost no one paid attention to it.)
Collocations
go viral
|viral video
|viral meme
|viral post
|viral content
|viral sensation
Themes
internet
|media
|pop_culture
|technology
|communication
Examples
- The video went viral and reached ten million views in just two days.
- Within hours, the hashtag had turned into a viral meme on social media.
- Their viral TikTok dance suddenly pushed the song to the top of the charts.
- The company hopes this funny ad will become a viral sensation among teenagers.
- Screenshots of the email leak went viral across multiple platforms overnight.
Learner examples
- Her dance video went viral on YouTube.
- The photo went viral, and everyone was talking about it.
- The joke became viral after a famous actor shared it.
- The band became famous after one of their songs went viral.
- The short clip was viral on many social media apps.
adjective
technical
C1
property
2
Caused by or relating to viruses
Caused by a virus, or about viruses and the sicknesses they cause.
Usage pattern:
viral [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'viral' with 'bacterial' and think both words mean the same type of infection. In medicine, 'viral' is only for viruses, while 'bacterial' is only for bacteria. Learners may also wrongly use 'virus infection' instead of the more natural 'viral infection' in many collocations.
Synonyms
virus-related (A clear descriptive phrase; less common as a set term in medical writing but easy to understand.)
|
infectious (Describes something that can spread from person to person; broader, not limited to viruses.)
Antonyms
bacterial (Describes infections or diseases caused by bacteria rather than viruses.)
|
non-viral (Technical opposite that simply states the cause is not a virus.)
Collocations
viral infection
|viral disease
|viral illness
|viral pneumonia
|viral outbreak
|viral load
Themes
medicine
|health
|science
Examples
- The doctor explained that my sore throat was due to a viral infection, not a bacterial one.
- Researchers are testing a new drug to treat viral diseases such as hepatitis C.
- The patient's viral load dropped significantly after two weeks of treatment.
- Flu is a viral illness that spreads easily in crowded places.
- Public health officials are monitoring a new viral outbreak in the region.
Learner examples
- I have a viral infection, so the doctor did not give me antibiotics.
- Flu is a common viral disease.
- They are studying how this viral illness spreads.
- Her test showed a high viral load in her blood.
- Viral infections can pass quickly from one person to another.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
3
Widely shared online post or video
A video, picture, or ad on the internet that many people share very quickly.
Usage pattern:
a viral [about/on something]; create a viral
Common mistake:
Learners may think this noun use of 'viral' is common in all everyday English. In fact, it is mostly used in marketing and media contexts. In normal conversation, people usually say 'a viral video' or 'a meme', not just 'a viral'.
Synonyms
ad (A general word for advertisement; a 'viral' is usually a specific ad designed to spread quickly online.)
|
campaign (Broader term for a series of ads or actions; a 'viral' is one piece of content within a campaign.)
|
spot (A short advertisement, especially on TV or online; a 'viral' is a spot that spreads unusually widely.)
Antonyms
flop (A piece of content or campaign that fails to attract attention or success, the opposite of a widely shared 'viral'.)
Collocations
create a viral
|produce a viral
|a branded viral
|share a viral
|a viral for [a brand]
Themes
internet
|media
|marketing
|technology
|communication
Examples
- The agency wants us to produce a funny viral for their new soft drink.
- That clip was never meant to be a big viral; it was just a test idea.
- Their last viral brought millions of views and huge brand awareness.
- The team studied what made the previous viral so successful before planning the next one.
Learner examples
- The company asked the studio to make a viral for their new phone.
- The new viral for the car brand is very popular online.
- They hope this short video will be a viral, not a flop.
- The ad agency showed three ideas for a viral to the client.
Grammar
Dictionary form
viral
IPA
GB/vˈaɪɹəl/
US/vˈaɪɹəl/
Syllables & stress
vir - al (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (vir)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: viral
Word family
Expressions
go viral
1/ɡˈoʊ vˈaɪɹəl/
fixed phrase
Spread explosively online
To become very popular very fast on the internet because many people share it.
Examples
- Her cooking tutorial went viral and changed her life overnight.
- No one expected the short clip to go viral, but it did.
- The charity's message went viral after a celebrity reposted it.
go viral
1/ɡˈoʊ vˈaɪɹəl/
fixed phrase
become widely shared online
to be shared by many people online very quickly
Examples
- The video went viral within hours.
- A customer's complaint went viral and forced the company to respond.
- No one can guarantee that a post will go viral.
viral content
1/vˈaɪɹəl kˈɑntɛnt/
fixed phrase
Online material shared widely
Online posts, videos, pictures, or other things that many people share very quickly.
Examples
- The agency specializes in making viral content for social media.
- They studied what types of viral content work best with teenagers.
- Viral content can bring a lot of new visitors to a website.
viral infection
1/vˈaɪɹəl ɪnfˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
Illness caused by a virus
An illness that you get because a virus is in your body.
Examples
- The doctor said it was a viral infection, so antibiotics would not help.
- Many common colds are caused by a simple viral infection.
- She stayed home from work with a viral infection.
viral load
1/vˈaɪɹəl lˈoʊd/
fixed phrase
technical
Amount of virus in the body
The measured amount of a virus in someone’s body, usually in their blood.
Examples
- The treatment aims to reduce the patient's viral load to an undetectable level.
- Doctors check her viral load regularly to see if the medicine is working.
- A high viral load can mean the infection is getting worse.
viral marketing
1/vˈaɪɹəl mˈɑɹkɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Promotion spreading quickly online
A way of telling people about something so they quickly share it with many others online.
Examples
- Viral marketing can make a brand famous overnight.
- They used viral marketing to promote the new app.
viral marketing
2/vˈaɪɹəl mˈɑɹkɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
Marketing that spreads person to person
A way of marketing that tries to make people share an ad or message with friends so it spreads very fast.
Examples
- The company used viral marketing to promote the new game on social media.
- Good viral marketing can be cheaper than traditional TV ads.
- They designed the video specifically for viral marketing on TikTok and Instagram.
viral video
1/vˈaɪɹəl vˈɪdioʊ/
fixed phrase
informal
widely shared online video
A video that becomes very popular very quickly on the internet.
Examples
- Their prank became a viral video overnight.
- The viral video was shared by millions worldwide.
viral video
2/vˈaɪɹəl vˈɪdioʊ/
fixed phrase
Widely shared online video
A video on the internet that many people share very quickly.
Examples
- The viral video of the baby panda made everyone smile.
- He became famous after a viral video showed his street performance.
- Brands dream of creating the next big viral video.